KPMG provides cyber literacy training for almost 100,000 young people in 60 countries and territories

For the fifth year running, KPMG International held its annual Global Cyber Day across 60 countries and territories around the world, the largest in the program’s history. The community initiative, led by KPMG cyber security professionals, aims to educate young people about the importance of cyber security and internet risk, as part of the global organization’s commitment to supporting the communities in which KPMG firms operate.

The classroom and virtual sessions ran throughout October as part of the globally recognized International Cyber Security Awareness Month and included guidance on safe use of personal data, social media, cyberbullying, online gaming and smartphones.

“It’s our duty to help educate and advocate for safe online behavior to those that are most vulnerable,” said Akhilesh Tuteja, who leads KPMG’s Global Cyber Security practice. “By encouraging safe practices, we’re empowering young people to develop safe internet habits and providing parents and teachers with the tools to communicate with children better.”

KPMG’s 2021 CEO Outlook study revealed that senior business leaders now see cyber security as a top business issue. Cyber security risk vied with today’s environmental and supply chain issues as the top threat to organizational growth over the next three years.

Cyber security is a growing problem, not just for organizations but also for children. Propelled by the pandemic, young people are spending more time online. According to a report by Qustodio,¹  children spend 25 percent more time online, 76 percent more on social media, 23 percent more on video games, 54 percent more on education, and 49 percent more on communication. Alarmingly, DQ Institute²  reports that almost two-thirds (60 percent) of children aged 8-12 are exposed to one or more forms of cyber risk, with 45 percent being affected by cyberbullying.

“Young people need a safety net to help keep bullies at bay,” added Tuteja. “The reality is that young people are spending more time online and bullies have moved from the corner of the playground to all corners of the internet.”

Given the tremendous success of KPMG’s previous Global Cyber Days, the organization expanded its initiative in 2021 by going virtual. This allowed more KPMG firms to participate, expanding their reach to include parent and teacher sessions, along with tailored sessions for older adults.

“Global Cyber Day supports KPMG’s corporate citizenship commitment to the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Quality Education and Lifelong Learning as outlined in KPMG: Our Impact Plan,” said Serena Brown, Global Head of Corporate Citizenship, KPMG. “Arming young people with knowledge on how they can stay safe online and make the right choices in this digitally-enabled world is paramount to helping make our local communities a safer place. We are focused on making an important contribution towards the achievement of SDG 4, to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, helping to unlock a prosperous and inclusive future.”

You can continue to follow the conversation @KPMG on Twitter using the hashtag: #CyberSafe

Brian O’Neill, Senior Manager, Global External Communications
+44 7823 668 689
Brian.O’Neill@kpmg.co.uk

KPMG is a global organization of independent professional services firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services. We operate in 146 countries and territories and in FY20 had close to 227,000 people working in member firms around the world. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such.

KPMG International Limited is a private English company limited by guarantee. KPMG International Limited and its related entities do not provide services to clients.